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Hinchey catches flack, from the left
Kingston – “I don’t care if you don’t have the votes”, said one of about 75 impeachment supporters, who had both barrels blazing, not at President Bush, or Dick Cheney, but at liberal Democrat Congressman Maurice Hinchey.
Why? Because Hinchey has not actually introduced, or supported, a resolution to impeach the current administration.
The Tuesday afternoon event, which originally was to have been a meeting between Hinchey and about half a dozen activists, in his small third floor office in uptown Kingston, was moved to the community room at the RUPCO building, a block away. Even there, the crowd overflowed onto the sidewalk.
Professor and author Joel Kovel said it is no wonder Congress has a lower rating than even the President.
“As a feeling of betrayal by millions of people who had hoped for a congress with real resolve and political courage and instead have gotten what appears to be a cynical and cowardly calculation to let the administration twist in the wind until November 2008.”
“Why can’t you sign on?” asked Barbara Sarah, of the Network of Spiritual Progressives.
Because it would be an exercise in futility, argued Hinchey, who said the votes simply are not there for impeachment, even if he personally believes the reasons are.
“I will say to you very clearly, without any hesitation, that I always do what I think is right, and I am doing now what I think is right, and I will continue to do what I think is right. I have done what I think is right despite of the fact that large numbers of people, including people in my district have said that what I was doing was wrong.”
Hinchey said he would continue, as he has for the past five years, to point to what he says are the abysmal failures of the Bush administration in being honest with the American people about the war in Iraq.
Not the answer that crowd wanted to hear.
(Original Article)